To travel you do not have to wait for the time you go on vacation. Even on a workweek, there is a time for a trip. To diversify your weekends and to get new impressions and emotions you can make a fantastic trip embracing our programme "short breaks".

Take your friends or family, choose up to three cities you want to visit and make a fabulous journey. In this weekend tour, you can stay for a one or two nights in the places you have chosen. You can be on excursions exploring and admiring the cities during the whole day and enjoy breathtaking views of the places recollecting bright moments of your trip at night. From dawn till night you will be able to see how the cities and everything around you change. Morning day will present the architecture and the landscape in sunlight glory while night will show transformed buildings and streets sinking in illumination.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to souvenirs from Russia? Of course, it is matryoshka, balalaika, vodka and caviar. Oh, and a hat with ear flaps as well! However, the ear flap hat is now in vogue, and has ceased to be such a rarity, vodka can be bought almost anywhere in the world.

Numerous souvenir shops are vying to sell magnets, mugs and T-shirts with slogans and thematic images (flag and coat of arms of Russia, funny sayings, bears, portraits of politicians and well-known writers), sailor's striped vests, as well as handicrafts. Khokhloma, Gzhel, enamel, birch amulets and Vologda lacework… the assortment is huge! But when you make purchases, don’t lower your guard.
Some unscrupulous sellers may try to sell you cheaper and substandard imitations. Of course, most of the shops have certificates for their goods and buy them directly from factories and workshops.
To help you not to get lost in all this colorful variety and tell how and where it is better to buy particular products, we have prepared separate articles for you on Russian folk crafts.

It makes sense to look for more valuable and rare souvenirs in antique shops.
Old coins, porcelain figurines of the Soviet era, icons, clocks, badges, decorations - one does not know where to look first!
But even here there are potential pitfalls. Apart from the fact that the seller may seriously inflate the price of what you want to buy, arguing that it is older or more valuable than it really is, there may be problems taking it out of the country.

As of today, it is prohibited to take any items of cultural value (books, figurines, icons, pictures, etc.), created prior to January 1, 1964 out of the country.

Important note: items of cultural value do not include cultural goods of serial and mass production, or modern souvenirs.

However, sometimes even an item of mass production manufactured over fifty years ago may attract the close attention of the customs service. If you want to protect yourself from unforeseen delays and undesired proceedings (the item is likely to stay with you, which, alas, cannot be said of your nerve cells), you can send the purchase to your own address by mail, after packing it carefully to avoid damage. Make sure that the package has a warning sign if the item is fragile.

Are you a little confused with all this information? Our team members are always ready to help you navigate all the rules, addresses, products and prices!

You will definitely find something to your liking and within your budget with all the variety of great Russian souvenirs!

Sergiyev Posad

Those who wish to learn something new about Russian history should definitely visit Sergiyev Posad. It is the only city in the Golden Ring that is located in the Moscow Region. It will take you only an hour to travel from the busy capital to the quiet and cozy Sergiyev Posad. You will recognize it at once by its golden onion domes. In the middle of the 14th century at the site of today’s Sergiyev Posad the Russian wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh founded the Trinity Monastery. It is easy to guess that the city was named after its founder. The monastery did not stand alone for long. People came and built their houses around it. Two centuries later a trade and industrial settlement was erected, a Posad.

It is worth mentioning that the monastery was not only a place where the residents of the city went to worship. Russian rulers turned it into a real fortress that periodically withstood attacks from enemy armies. Today the Trinity Monastery is on the UN World Heritage List and is one of the most interesting places in Sergiyev Posad.

The first place you should visit is obviously the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.

You can clearly see numerous buildings inside the strong walls. They enclose some 50 buildings including the Ecclesiastical Academy, the Seminary and the Friatry! In the Lavra alone you can wander around for hours marveling at curious wall paintings, studying museum collections, books and icons. Take the opportunity to drop by the Trinity Cathedral. It is here that the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh rest. During the visit to Sergiyev Posad an experienced guide will definitely show you Sergius’ Water Well Chapel. As the legend goes, the well was discovered by Sergius of Radonezh. He took water from it for his brothers every day.

The Chernigovsky Hermitage is another attraction in the city. Pilgrims from different corners of our country flock to the Hermitage. All of them strive to see the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Chernigov and receive the blessing of the wise monks.

Both young and old should visit the Toy Museum that will leave no one unexcited. And to immerse oneself into the time of the founding of the city it is worthwhile to visit the Museum of the Peasant’s Household Zhili-Byli. Legends, fairytales, samovars and a real Russian stove are always there.

Ten minutes away is the famous village of Abramtsevo. Many years ago it was an aristocratic estate which later was home to many famous philosophers, historians, actors and writers.

On the outskirts of Sergiyev Posad in the village of Deulino you can travel to an ancient lake. An ordinary water reserve (as it may seem) was the place where in the 17th century Russia and Poland negotiated for peace. The Church of Sergius of Radonezh was built to honor the memory of the event.

To the southeast of the city it is worthwhile to visit the Gremyachi waterfall, famous for its curative powers.

Sergiyev Posad has accommodation for every purse and purpose. Those who look for budget-friendly accommodations will find hostels, while upscale travelers will find hotels designed like tsar’s palaces. Travelers with big families or groups of friends can find accommodation in apartments or inexpensive rooms not far from the Monastery.

A busy excursion program will surely work up your appetite. Here you will not get by without finding a restaurant with Russian cuisine. Try local blini (pancakes), kurniki (chicken pies), medovukha (mead) and other specialties. Those who want to have a more immersive experience in the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius can enjoy a meal at its dining room. You will be offered a lean but delicious meal.

July is an excellent month to travel to Sergiyev Posad. At this time the Air Balloons Festival is celebrated, which is a colorful and fascinating show. In August you can be there for the Breath of the North Indigenous Peoples’ Festival.

September is the time for the Rusian Matrioshka Festival. By the way, according to some sources, this iconic souvenir first appeared in Sergiyev Posad. You will easily find many beautiful wooden matrioshkas in the gift shops.

The endless flow of pilgrims to the Trinity Monastery, noisy crowds of tourists, the buzz and hubbub in the gift shops are what Sergiyev Posad is about. It is diverse, but everyone can find something to call their own here. Sergiyev Posad is called the pearl of Russia’s Golden Ring. It is a place you will want to visit again and again.